In which I receive another reminder as to why I don't discuss politics at work.

I work with some really great guys, but they are very conservative and agree with much of what the Tea Party stands for. The discussion around the break table this morning included speculation about Romney’s choice of running mate. Someone mentioned that Condi Rice had been considered, but she had turned it down. I pointed out that they were trying to get the black vote and the women’s vote all at the same time just like last cycle when they tried to get the women’s vote by running Sarah Palin for VP.

That’s when it got interesting. These guys are convinced that Sarah was chosen for her intellect and no other reason. I asked “Have you ever really listened to her speak? She just connects a lot of words, but she never really says anything.”

Why, of course, they’ve listened to her. Apparently I haven’t or I would know how smart she is. They are really disappointed that I don’t recognize just how smart she is. She’s a lot smarter than “your President”!

!?!?!?!?!WHAT!?!?!?!?!

My reply: “Let’s see. It took Sarah 5 years to get a degree in sports journalism and “my President” was President of the Harvard Law Review.”

8. They watch Fox News. What more do I need to say?

Anything that doesn't agree with their way of thinking is not worth listening to, in their opinion. They don't explore any dissenting opinions to see if they have any merit, they just dismiss them as being wrong.

6. That first sentence makes absolutely no sense to me.

10. Oh, wow -- sometimes there really is no place to start.

I have always avoided talking about politics at work, unless I meet a liberal co-worker who tips his/her hand first. I have a small number of co-workers in that category, and enjoy talking about the events of the day with them on occasion. But for the others, it's just not important enough to me to try to score points with conservatives at work when that could mess up an otherwise good working relationship.

A few times over the years I've had to abruptly break off a conversation, for example:

Con Co-Worker: "Fox News is the conservative network. CNN is the liberal network."
Me: "Interesting. Oh, look at the time, I have a meeting in 5 minutes! Better run now! See ya!!"

Same Con Co-Worker, another time: "If you work for an enterprise of any size, there's really only one way to vote, and that's Republican."
Me: "Well, I guess people have a lot of different reasons for voting the way they do.... Uh-oh, time for my 2:00 meeting! See ya!!"

Then there was the time when another guy decided he just had to know my religious views. (I am an atheist, but sure wasn't going to bring that up at work, especially with a Religious Right type like this guy.)

He kept pressing me on it, so I finally just said --
Me: "I don't really have the same religious beliefs as most people."
Religious Right Co-Worker (looking *very* concerned and agitated): "Well, what are ya, then? Some kinda Buddhist er sumthin?"
Me, laughing: "No, no..."
Religious Right Co-Worker (eyes starting to bulge a little): "What is it, then? Some New Age crystal thing or sumthin like that?"
Me (smiling): "I'll fill you in on it some other time."

This guy got canned soon thereafter, not because of any of this -- I didn't report him, anyway, even though this kind of probing was clearly against stated company policy. So he didn't get a chance to corner me again.

Funny thing was, before he left I spent a lot of my personal time, after hours, reviewing, editing, and re-writing this guy's resume and giving him a lot of job-hunting advice (and he ended up getting a really good management job elsewhere, maybe partly because of my help). If I hadn't edited the hell out of that resume, he'd have never gotten an interview, because it was obviously the work of a semi-literate person.

17. Actually, they are great guys, as long as you keep the conversation away from politics.

One is my boss, who is fair and generous to his employees, scrupulously honest in his dealings with customers/suppliers/subcontractors and is well liked and respected by other people in the community he comes in contact with. I've worked for him for 18 years and consider him a friend. We just don't hold the same political opinions and, for the most part, have agreed to disagree.

18. Fort Smith, Sebastian County.

23. When I was a kid, the Fort Smith TV station,

KFSA (the predecessor of KFSM), referred to Fort Smith as being in Northwest Arkansas. So my image of Sebastian County has always been one of being included in Northwest Arkansas. But apparently it is now "Arkansas River Valley" or "Western Arkansas"

26. Anyway, I don't know why Fort Smith is so conservative

It's been that way for a while too-- in fact, it was the city that gave John Paul Hammerschmidt his victory over a political upstart named Bill Clinton in the 1974 3rd District Congressional election. Probably the only squeaker election Hammerschmidt ever had, and the only chance we've really had to have a Democrat representing the 3rd District in 40+ years, although maybe we have a chance to win it this year?

22. all Sarah Palin had going for her was her looks-

my young adult son said to me the other day, "Palin's only asset is her shell, If she looked like Janet Reno she would be nobody".

I believe he's absolutely right- She doesn't have much else to offer. Being physically atractive shouldn't be a hinderance to success, but when it is pretty much all you have to offer it doesn't qualify you to be governor, much less vice president.